Top 10 things to experience in Mexico
We are going to take a look at ten of the most memorable experiences I’ve had so far in Mexico and why you should take the time to experience them as well. I’ve visited Mexico four times now for a total of eight major cities and half a dozen small villages.
I booked my first trip down south to Mexico as part of my “Fuck you Trump for hating on us immigrants, I’m gonna do what I want” tour. That, and I needed a break from another idiot on the other side of the world in Barcelona, but that’s another story for later.
1. Visit Monte Albán
Like a castle in the sky, Monte Albán rises up in the mountains overlooking the Oaxaca valley. It’s only been recently excavated, and not all of it fully excavated. It is among the oldest archeological sites in Mexico and predates Teotihuacan. Walking through this abandoned ancient city it’s hard not to feel quite a lot of similarities between the two sites, despite being separated by such large distances as well as centuries. I’m not a historian, but I do play one on the internet, so if I had to guess I would say that Oaxacans must have sent some of their designers up north to guide the construction of Teotihuacan.
2. Visit the Teotihuacan
I wrote how to visit Teotihuacan in another one of my posts, but suffice it to say this was, and continues to be, among my top things I’ve experienced in Mexico. It is an ancient archeological site located about an hour north of Mexico City (CDMX) and consists of two pyramids: Pyramid of the Sun, and Pyramid of the Moon. It’s hard to overstate the size of the complex and how well-preserved it all seems. You’re free to climb to the top of any of the pyramids, and best views of the larger pyramid can be had from the top of the smaller one Pyramid of the Moon.
3. Visit the Great Pyramid of Cholula
Unlike the other archeological sites, the Great Pyramid of Cholula is actually open to the public. It is the largest unexcavated pyramid in the world and largest pyramid by area, Giza being the tallest and Pyramid of the Sun is the 2nd largest excavated structure. For only 70 pesos you too can walk the narrow ancient tunnels and experience a full-blown panic attack just as I did!
I have never stepped inside a pyramid before so I jumped at the opportunity. Half-way through the pyramid and being stuck with 20 people blocking the way in front of me and another 20 behind me I had a mild panic attack. All that said, it’s an unforgettable experience. Over time the pyramid was completely buried by dirt. The Spanish built a church on top of the pyramid in a totally dickish move just to prove a point.
4. Visit Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City
Holy crap this museum is awesome! I love museums and I tend to go to most of them whenever I end up in a new city. However, I’ve become kind of spoiled so it’s hard for a museum to impress me now. Not so with the Anthropology Museum in CDMX. This museum can go toe to toe with the Museum of Natural History in NY or Prado in Madrid. It’s massive, it’s stunning, and there’s so much history that I knew absolutely nothing about. Dedicate at least 3 hours to the visit and maybe more if you actually want to see it all.
5. Buy Ceramics in Guanajuato
Granted this one is not a massive pyramid but it’s still impressive and gorgeous. These hand-painted ceramics are stunning and the ones I got are not even the best ones they had. One thing that’s special, but also frustrating about Mexico is that certain things are only available in certain cities. For example, the ceramics from Guanajuato are nearly impossible to find elsewhere. Everyone is aware of it, but it’s just not available. It’s the equivalent of being able to buy New York style pizza only in New York. I’ve literally had people in Puebla tell me to go back to Guanajuato if I want to buy that.
6. Buy Alebrije in Oaxaca
If you’ve already seen the movie Coco then you’re familiar with these mythical animals. They are intended as folk art and were invented in 1936 by Pedro Linares during a fever dream. As we can all attest, all the best ideas come out of fever dreams and this was no exception. They are not toys, but they are also not spiritual guardians, but I suppose they can serve as that if you’d like. They were intended as art and come in a variety of sizes from tiny to human size.
7. Eat Incredible Food
Food is everywhere in Mexico and the best thing about it is it doesn’t taste anything like Mexican food in the US, and it’s not always spicy either. The variety of food available is mind-boggling. My favorite cities for food are Oaxaca, Mexico City, and San Miguel de Allende. It’s really hard to get a bad meal at any of them. In Oaxaca make sure to try all the special sauces they make (molé) with my favorite being amarillo (yellow), rojo (red) and verde (green). Also, mariscos (or seafood) anywhere you go around the country is usually top notch. It’s something we don’t get to experience on this side of the border. I’ll be doing a special food post later.
8. Visit Petrified Waterfalls in Oaxaca
These petrified waterfalls are kind of remote from Oaxaca City. It’s up in the mountains, but the journey there is beautiful and being on top of it you’re presented with breathtaking views of Oaxaca mountains. Just bring a jacket because it gets quite cold at night, and bring swimming shorts because you can also swim in the natural pool during the day when it’s warm.
9. Visit the village of Ajijic
This lake town is an hour south of Guadalajara. People have recommended checking out Chapala nearby, and I did but honestly, it’s not that great. The food and atmosphere in Ajijic are far better. Most restaurants in the town center seem like tourist traps, so be careful with that. For something a bit more special hit up the eco-resort Monte Coxala.
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10. Visit Chichen Itza
The ancient Mayan mythical city of Chichen Itza, with all the human sacrifices you can handle. With its close proximity to Cancun, it has become Mexico’s most-famous and most-visited attraction. Just like the majority of other sites in Mexico, this one is built on top of another ancient temple and they’ve started excavating it as well.
